Peregrine antibody shows potential activity against avian flu

Bavituximab (formerly Tarvacin) is a monoclonal antibody with unique anti-viral and anticancer properties that has already demonstrated good tolerability in a phase I trial in patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The antibody is also being evaluated in a phase I trial in solid tumor cancers.

The H5N1 studies were conducted at a number of independent research laboratories. Peregrine has also been collaborating with other researchers to evaluate the potential of bavituximab delivered by different routes of administration to treat infections caused by influenza A, the viral family that includes the H5N1 strain.

Peregrine has ongoing studies to evaluate various delivery methods and treatment regimens to treat influenza in a number of in vivo models, including well-established mouse and ferret models. These studies include assessments of bavituximab delivered by nasal inhalation, a form of delivery expected to be more effective than systemic delivery alone for respiratory viruses that lodge deep in the lungs.

“This first set of results showing that bavituximab appears to have inhibited H5N1 viral replication in the fertilized egg model and the supportive data confirming that bavituximab binds to H5N1 viral particles are encouraging,” said Dr Philip Thorpe, a member of the Peregrine scientific resource board and professor of pharmacology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Texas. “These early data support the view that bavituximab may be active against H5N1 and other common strains of influenza.”